Here's What You Missed In Court!

I'm covering the Janard Orange murder trial. He's accused of robbing, shooting and killing 16 year old Greg Smith, a Boyd Anderson High School senior. Aside from what's going on in the trial, there's plenty of other drama surrounding it.

Tuesday, the suspect and victim's families got into a screaming match in the hallway. The suspect's family was banned from the courtroom. Fast forward to Wednesday, a cousin of the suspect came to court. First, bailiffs kicked him out of the courtroom, accusing him of sending signals to Orange. He said he was just nodding, like saying hello. Then, during the lunch break, the court reporter said he saw that cousin speaking to a juror. The juror admitted the man spoke to her, saying only that Orange is his cousin and he was here to support him. The cousin then took the stand, telling the court, yes, he did speak to the juror, but only said he told her they were cousins. Under more questioning, he admitted telling the juror that Orange was his cousin, he was not loved as a child, he was influenced by friends, and he'd been in lock up for over two years. The juror was excused and let me tell you, she was NOT happy! We were trying to figure out if she was in tears, she really wanted to stay on the jury.

And there's more....Orange received a handwritten note from someone. In court, we were told the note was signed by Terrance James. He's Orange's best friend, who said he was driving the car the night of the murder and was the key witness for the prosecution. He cut a deal to avoid a life sentence, in exchange, he had to testify against Orange. James denied he wrote the note and the trial moved on. I'd love to know what was said in that note and who it came from.

Lots of behind the scene stuff in this one. Today the prosecution and defense will close and it's expected to go to the jury. Stay tuned!